Disk gang assembly



Sept. 16, 1941. o. w. SJOGREN DISK GANG ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 4, 1959 1 N V EN TOR:

06cm: N LSJOGEEN W A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 16, 1941 2,256,220 DISK GANG ASSEMBLY Oscar W. Slop-en, Huntington Park, Calm, as-

signor to Killefer Manufacturing Corporation,

Los Angeles, Calif.,

a corporation of California Application October 4, 1939,,Serial No. 297,841

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to disk gang assemblies and has for its principal object and general nature the provision of a novel and improved disk gang construction, and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a disk gang supported on antifriction bearings which are suitably enclosed to protect them from the influx of sand and loose dirt under the severe conditions to which dirt working disk gangs are subjected. This invention is in the nature of an improvement by way of simplification over the enclosed bearing gang assembly disclosed in Patent No. 2,135,192 granted November 1, 1938, to Mitchell, Sjogren and Wadelton.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent after a consideration of the following description, reference being had to the appended drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken along the center line of a disk harrow gang embodying the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of one of the bearings showing the method of mounting the bearing in the harrow frame; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the disk gang assembly comprises a plurality of ground working disks 5 of the conventional concavo convex type having a square aperture 6 in the center thereof to receive a gang bolt 1 of square cross section. The disks 5 are held in spaced apart relation by means of spacers or spools 8 which have end flanges 9, In for bearing against the surfaces of the disks 5. The spools 8 are provided with a central aperture Ii of square shape and adapted to slidably receive the gang bolt 1. Although only one spacer is shown in the drawing it is broken to indicate that any number of disks and spoons can be mounted on the gang bolt 1. A pair of end caps I2, I3 are mounted at opposite ends of the gang assembly and have square apertures l4 adapted to receive the square gang bolt I. The end caps are provided at their inner ends with radially outwardly extending flanges I5 which bear against the outer surfaces of the end disks 5. each end cap is reduced in diameter to provide a cylindrical mounting surface I6 on which is mounted the inner race I! of an anti-friction type bearing indicated generally by the reference numeral I8. The bearing I8 is also provided with an outer race I9 and between the The outer end of into the spacing spools 8.

plurality of balls 20 which roll in suitable grooves in the inner and outer races, as is well known in the art. A pair of annular seals 2|, 22 of conventional type are provided in each end of the races and serve to retain grease or other lubricant within the bearing and to exclude dirt and foreign objects. Each of the end caps I2, I3 is provided with a radially outwardly extending shoulder 23 against which the inner bearing race I! is clamped by means of the main gang bolt 7, as will now be described.

The bolt 1 is provided at one end with a head 25'and at the other end it is turned to provide a cylindrical portion 26 which is threaded to receive a nut 21. It will be. seen from the drawing that the cylindrical bearing supporting portion I6 of each of the end caps is made slightly shorter than the lower race Il so that the latter overhangs the end of the end cap a slight amount. A pair of washers 28 are disposed on the gang bolt 1 between the head 25 and the nut 21 and each of the overhanging outer edges of the inner races I1, respectively. Suitable gaskets 29 are also disposed under the head 25 and nut 21 to prevent lubricant from flowing along the gang bolt 1 It is now evident that when the gang bolt nut 21 is tightened on the threads 26, the disks 5, spacers 8, end caps I2, I3, and the inner bearing races I! are drawn tightly together into a rigid unitary structure, pressure being applied through the bolt head 25 and nut 21 through the washers 29 to the outer edges of the inner racesv I1 and thence through the shoulders 23 to the end caps I2, I3 which press against the disks 5. The outer bearing races I9 are securely mounted within a pair of bearing hubs or housings 35 and fit snugly within cylindrical supporting surfaces. 36 and against shoulders 31 near the outer ends 0 the housings 35. The outer races are held against the shoulders 31 by means of retaining rings 39 which snap into grooves 38 provided in the housings 35. Lubricant-tight enclosures 40 are formed by providing outer covers II for the housings 35 and securely fixed over the outer ends thereof by means of bolts 42. Sealing means, indicated generally by reference numeral 45, are provided between each of the stationary bearing hubs 35 and the end caps I2, I3, respectively, as will now be described.

Each of the hub members 35 is provided at its inner end with a rim 46 and the end cap is reinner and outer races IT, I9 are confined a cessed to receive the outer surface of the rim I6 2 with a reasonably close fit to exclude dirt from the hearing as much as possible without causing binding or rubbing between the rim 46 and the I overhanging flange" of the end cap. The sealing means 45 is contained within an enclosure formed by the inner surface of the hub rim 46 spaced radially outwardly from a cylindrical sealing surface 48 onthe end cap. A radially outwardly extending surface 49 on the flange portion l5 of the end cap forms the third side of the seal enclosure. A partition in the form of a cupped metal washer 50 is supported on the rim 46 of the housing 35 by pressing the flange portion 5| of the washer 50 tightly, within theinner surface of the rim 45. The partition extends from the rim 46 in a radial plane nearly to the-cylindrical sealing surface" of the end cap but with sufllcient clearance between the inner edge of the partition and the cylindrical sealing surface 48 to provide for relative rotation therebetween. A'sealing ring 52, made of felt or other suitable resilient material, is snugly retained between the partition 50 and the radially extending sealing surface 49,-the inner edge jof the ring bearing against the cylindrical sealing surface 48. A second resilient sealing ring 53 is made with suflicient clearance around the bolt to permit a limited horizontal adjustment of the" member 65, the latter being bolted by means of a bolt 5! to a horizontal portion 58 of the harrow frame. The aperture 69 in the frame part 68 angular support 66.

' I do not intend my invention to be restricted to the exact details shown and described herein except as limited by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A disk gang assembly comprising a plurality of ground working disks, spacers between said disks, end caps at opposite ends of said assembly, bearing members mounted on said end caps, and a gang bolt extending through aligned openings in said disks, spacers, and caps and bearing against the outer ends of said bearing members to draw said assembly together into a rigid unitary structure.

2. A disk gang assembly comprising a plurality of ground working disks, spacers between said disks, end caps at opposite ends of said assembly, inner bearing members mounted on said end caps, a gang bolt extending through aligned openings in said disks, spacers, and caps and bearing against the outer ends of said bearing members to draw said assembly together into a end cap flange 41 prevents the influx of coarse dirt so that only dust and fine sand is permitted to enter the sealing enclosure. In order for any dust topass into. the bearing enclosure, it must work its way inwardly either between the felt and the'radial sealing surface 49 or between the felt andthe partition 50, then pass around the inner. edge of the partition 50 and again work its way outwardly between the felt 53 and either .the partition 50 or the sealing ring 54. Thus it is evident that this novel sealing means'45 effectively protects the bearings from dust and grit, for it is clear that the passage of the dustinwardly to the inner edge of the partition 50' is resisted by the centrifugal force set up by the rotating parts. This seal is also effective in preventing the escape of lubricant from the bearing enclosure, for in order to escape the lubricant must first work its way inwardly against centrifugal force and around the inner edge of the partition and then work its way outwardly once more past the outer felt or sealing ring 52. Additional protection for the ball bearings is provided by the sealing rings 2|, 22 between the bearing races themselves. Lubricant is supplied to the bearing enclosures through lubricant fittings 55 of any suitable type and it will be evident to those skilled in the art that once the bearing enclosures are filled with lubricant it will seldom benecessary to replenish the supply.

' Each of the bearing hubs or housings 35 is supported on a pair of laterally extending ears.

or lugs preferably formed integrally therewith and which are connected to a supporting yoke 62 by means of bolts 51. One of the yokes 62 is rigidly attached to a vertical plate 63 which is fixed to the harrow frame 64 by suitable bolts 65. The opposite yoke 52 is fixed to an angular rigid unitary structure, and a pair of outer bearing members embracing and supporting said I inner bearing members, respectively, and adapted to be' rigidly secured in asuitable gang frame.

3. A disk gang assembly comprising a plurality of ground working disks, spacers between said disks, end caps at opposite ends of said assembly, inner bearing members mounted on said end caps, a gang bolt extending through aligned openings in said disks, spacers, and caps and bearing against the outer ends of said bearing members to draw said assembly together into a rigid unitary structure, a pair of outer bearing members embracing and supporting said inner bearing members, respectively, and adapted to be rigidly secured in a suitable gang frame, en-

closure caps secured over the outer ends of said openings in said disks, spacers, and caps and bearing against the outer ends of said inner bearing races, drawing the latter tightly against said shoulders to secure said assembly together into a rigid unitary structure, outer bearing races embracing and supporting said inner races, respectively, and bearing housings for supporting said outer races and having means for securing the housings to a suitable gang frame.

5. A disk gang assembly comprising a plurality of ground working disks, spacers between said disks, end caps at opposite ends of said assembly, said end caps having shoulders, inner bearing races mounted on said end caps against said shoulders, a gang bolt extending through aligned openings in said disks, spacers, and caps and bearing against the outer ends of said inner bearing races, drawing the latter tightly against said shoulders to secure said assembly together into a rigid unitary structure, outer bearing races embracing ,and supporting said inner races,

respectively, bearing housings for supporting said outer races and having means for securing the housings to a suitable gang frame,,and dust sealing means disposed between said housings and said end caps, respectively.

6. A disk gang assembly comprising a plurality of ground working disks, spacers between said disks, end caps at opposite ends of said assembly, said end caps having shoulders, inner bearing races mounted on said end caps against said shoulders, a gang bolt extending through aligned openings in said disks, spacers, and caps and bearing against the outer ends of said inner bearing races, drawing the latter tightly against said shoulders to secure said assembly together into a rigid unitary structure, outer bearing races embracing and supporting said inner races, respectively, bearing housings for supporting said outer races and having means for securing the housings to a suitable gang frame, each of said end caps having a cylindrical sealing surface and an annular flange surface extending outwardly therefrom and each of said bearing housings having a rim encircling but spaced outwardly from said sealing surface, an annular partition fixed to said rim in dust tight relation thereto and extending inwardly nearly to said cylindrical surface, a resilient sealing ring disposed between said flange surface and said partition, a second sealing ring disposed on the other side of said partition, and a retaining ring clamped between said inner bearing race and said shoulder by means of said gang bolt for holding said second ring against said partition.

"I. In'an enclosed bearing for disk gangs and the like, an annular dust seal between a pair of housing members having radially spaced inner and outer cylindrical surfaces, respectively, comprising an annular partition fixed in a radial plane to one of said surfaces and extending nearly to the other of said surfaces, a ring of resilient sealing material disposed on each side of said partition, and retaining means disposed adjacent said rings and connected with the other of said surfaces for holding said rings against said partition.

8. In an enclosed bearing for disk gangs and the like, an annular dust seal between a pair of housing members having radially spaced inner and outer cylindrical surfaces, respectively, comv prising an annular partition fixed in a radial plane to the outer of said surfaces and extending nearly to said inner cylindrical surface, a ring of resilient sealing material disposed on each side of said partition, and retaining means disposed adjacent said rings and connected with said inner surface for holding said rings against said partition. 1

9. In an enclosed bearing for a disk .gang, an inner bearing member and an outer bearing housing, said inner member having a cylindrical sealing surface and an annular flange surface extending outwardly therefrom, said bearing housing having a rim encircling but spacedthe like, having a pair of housing members hav- I ing radially spaced inner and outer cylindrical surfaces, a pair of annular resilient sealing members between said surfaces, and retaining means therefor defining a U-shaped path of travel for dust into said housing which comprises a first or outer pass between said sealing members and said retaining means through which the dust must work radially inwardly, followed by a second pass through which the dust must work radially outwardly.

11. In an enclosed bearing for disk gangs and the like including a pair of housing members having radially spaced inner and outer cylindrical surfaces, the combination of annular resilient sealing means disposed between said surfaces, retaining means for said sealing means including radial faces bearing on opposite sides of said sealing means and connected to said inner cylindrical surface to rotate therewith, and means for preventing dust from working across said outer cylindrical surface between said faces.

OSCAR W. SJOGREN. 

